Sunday, September 7, 2008

[Oxford American] A City Erupts

The New Orleans/Gulf Coast issue of the Oxford American is out nowfeaturing my piece about the involuntary evolution of Baton Rougeafter Katrina.

I still don't have power after Gustav and am posting from my phone, sosorry, no excerpts but it's on page 60 of a magazine that deservespurchasing even witgout my presence in it. The two pieces about LilWayne by Ada Liana Biduic and David Ramsey are really powerful,really, even if you hate Lil Wayne and see rap as cancer. And thefull story of Dr. Ben Marble, the "Go fuck yourself, Mr. Cheney" guy,is truth on the precipice of wild fiction.

I read half of the issue by flashlight trying catch the slightestbreeze while we all half slept on mattresses in the dining room, theroom with the best circulation, and I'm hoping Baton Rouge can keep upthe slow momentum, stay on the right side of the tipping point if Imay get Malcolm Gladwell about it, and not fall into a trap of selfpity and OG Louisiana "well, fuck it then" because CNN left becausethere were no starving grandmas on rooftops in New Orleans this time.

I'm proud of my article first because its good and I am a vain writerwho likes seeing his name in his favorite magazine, but also becauseI'm proud of my town and my state and even a little proud of ourformer exorcist/GOP token governor for keeping our collective shittogether and doing our jobs during THIS hurricane, neither of whichbeing a Louisiana strong suit.

So go buy the issue. The Oxford American has traditionally had aLouisiana-esque attitude toward a publishing calendar and this is thethird quarterly to come out on time, so go reward a bunch of usbackwards ass Southerners for keeping it together for most of a year.Believe me, it doesn't come naturally to us.